Document Page: First | Prev | Next | All | Image | This Release | Search
File: doc70_03.txt
--.........*"`~~~~"" **~1 *d.~ ~
*;~I~ *~!* - ii-
*L.~ a ,`;yste£nic poison, (-;iu~In~ Pu iinoriary
* *, ** - * * * `i? 7- * * . iliarrli~;t, restlessnt,~s, w~aknc~s, sub
* ,~(J~ti I I~'1i:;7!!i * I ,,\`(, :t (!(~I' ~f .9t."erity and appear~t~ce of n,
* , q t, , `I I * - * t(! I1lI~crature, and lo~" bl()o(l Prsesm~u{en'Is 5
(I;) ]``t~~'~'ziPi!J I)~)j'? ? . ~ t,() (). 1 ( (~I t is <`I bli~t~'r agent; a toxic lung irritant; and,
I)!) l~tzzi Ly :t;~~1 i'*,.'oi~i,'u,~ j)rL'.~L'tIt). ~`,I)t'fl absorbed in the tissues, a systen~ic poison
(7) J?~~ili-,i,q j)~?j)(~, l'.){). 1~iqiiid L causes an immediate searing sensation
(8) ~`apor ;?)))s~£rc. ().087 mm lig at 0~ C.; itt the eye and permanent loss of sight if not
0.394 tntn Hg at 20" C. (I(:co?~taminated within 1 minute with large
(9) Volatility. 1,060 mg/rn3 at 0 C.; 4,480 amounts of water. L produces an immediate and
tnglm'1 at 20" C.; S,620 mg/rn3 at 300 C. strong stinging sensation to the skin; reddening
(10) Flash point. None. of the skin starts within 30 minutes. Blistering
(11) Decomposition temperature. Above 1000 does not appear until after about 13 hours. Like
C. HD, L is a cell poison. Skin burns are much
* (12) Latent heat of va~orization. 58 calories deeper than those caused by HD. When inhaled
per gram from 0~ to 1900 C. in high concentrations, L may be fatal in as
(13) Rate of hydrolysis. Rapid for vapor and short a time as 10 minutes.
dissolved lewisite. Low solubility in water limits (24) Protection required. Protective mask
the hydrolysis. and permeable protective clothing for vapor and
(14) Hydrolysis products, Hydrogen chloride small droplets; impermeable protective clothing
and chlorovinylarsenious oxide. The latter is a for protection against large droplets, splashes
nonvolatile blister-forming solid not read~ly and smears.
washed away by rains. Alkaline hydrolysis de- (25) Decontaminants. Supertropical bleach
stroys these blister.forming properties.
(15) Stability in storage. `Stable in steel or (STB), DS2, or caustic soda. Liquid agent on the
glass container. skin may be decontaminated by use of the skin
`16) Action on metals or other materials. decontamination pad in the M13 Indi'vidual De-
contaminating and Reimpregnating Kit, or the
if L is dry. M258 Skin Decontamination Kit.
~1?) Odor. Usually geranium~like; very little
odor when pure. (26) Persistency. Somewhat shorter than for
(18) Median lethal dosage (LCtso). HD. Very short duration under humid condi-
(a) Inhalation. 1,200 to 1,500 mg-minIm3. tions.
(b) Skin absorption (masked personnel). (27) Use. Moderately delayed-action casu-
100,000 mg.min/m3. When the humidity is high, alty agent.
L hydrolyzes so rapidly that it is difficult to A;. Mustard-Lewisite Mixture (ffL).
maintain a concentration sufficient to blister (1) General. Mustard.lewisite mixture is a
bare skin. This difficulty is still further in- variable of HD and L which provides a low-
creased by the high vapor pressure and short freezing mixture for use in cold we~ther~pera
duration of effectiveness of L. tions or as high-altitude spray. Properties are
(19) Median inCapacitati~~g dosage (1Ct5~. listed for the eutectic mixture (the mixture hav.
(a) Eye injury (from vapor). Below 300 ing the lowest possible freezing point), which is
mg-minIm3, 63 percent L and 37 percent MD by weight.
(b) Skin absorption (masked personnel). Other mixtures, such as 50-50, may be prepared
Over 1,500 mg-minIm3, Lewisite irritates the to meet predetermine~ weather conditions and
eyes and skin and gives warning of its presence. have advantages over the eutectic rt'tixture be-
(20) Rate ofdeto.~ification. The body does not cause of the increased HD content.
detoxify lewisite. (2) Chen~ical na~~te. None; see colnpo?~ents.
(21) Ski?t and eye toxicity. An exposure of (3) Formula. None; see componet0ts.
1,500 rng-min~m3 produces severe and probably (4) Moleculap' Iveight. 186.4 (calc~tlated ott
permanent corneal damage to the eyes. L has basis of eutectic mi.\'ture 63 percent L .~tid 37
approximately the same blistering action on the percent HD).
skin as lID, even tl0ough tl~e lethal dosage for L (5) V(Lp0r deitsity (co?itpar~'d ~(~ ai,'), 6.5,
dc~t.','tty. f~et'veeti LIte (lens Lie.',' ~~f
ich higher, (6) ft'qiti~i Lpl0roxit~0<'tttly 1 .(;( ;tL 20 (`,.
.2) I?ate of act ~O?L, Ra1~i~i. LIte colnponettts;
(23) 1~1~y5iologicai acti~~,~. f l)?'()(1 U (`( ~ ( cts (7) t~rc~~j,~~ ?)(`i~~t. - 95.10 (`.. J)tI 1*('; - `2<' C'.
SI n0 ii `LI. t() tho,','e PI'O(iuce(l 1).', 1(1) lILit, itt `1(l(jiti()!t j~ .`t Itt I~~~ t'ity (c;tlctt 1: Lt'(l).
3-12 -~~½~~:;~~;...½ ,:~ -~
A `~~
LI -~.-~ 4";~{,~
Document Page: First | Prev | Next | All | Image | This Release | Search